Activity Patterns in the Mole-Rats Tachyoryctes Splendens and Heliophobius Argenteocinereus

Abstract

Activity in two unrelated genera of mole-rats, Tachyoryetes and Heliophobius, was studied in the field by recording the movements of animals tagged with radioactive wire. Tachyoryetes shows a single marked activity peak and only leaves its nest between 10.00 and 19.00 hour. Heliophobius shows a more dispersed and prolonged activity pattern although peak activity occurs over approximately the same period as in Tachyoryetes. Heliophobius spends over 50 of the day out of its nest, Tachyoryetes, under 25%.